Pietersen ton in vain as Aussies win
Pietersen was given little support by his team-mates
Also In The News
|
Manchester United slid to a 2-1 defeat after being out-fought by a spirited Portsmouth side at Fratton Park. |  |
Sunday, 08, Apr 2007 08:17
Australia have beaten England by seven wickets with nearly three overs remaining to leave Michael Vaughan's men with only a slim hope of reaching the tournament semi-finals.
Captain Ricky Ponting made a consummate 86 and Michael Clarke an unbeaten half-century (55) to condemn England to their second consecutive defeat in six days, after the three-run loss to Sri Lanka.
England's star man was Kevin Pietersen, who rescued an otherwise unremarkable England innings to give them a half-decent total to defend.
Pietersen (104) was one of just three players to get into double figures as England made 247 all out from their 50 overs.
Ian Bell scored a commendable 77 and Ravi Bopara gave another indication that he may be an all-rounder with a big future for England with a decent 21 lower down the order.
But otherwise England's batting order failed to fire in any way whatsoever. Captain Vaughan (5) was again out cheaply, playing on off the bowling of Shaun Tait. Andrew Strauss (7), in his first innings of this World Cup, then went the same way soon after.
And following another poor performance from the top order it was again left to Pietersen to pick up the pieces, which he and opener Bell soon did - putting on 140 for the third wicket to rekindle England's hopes of a fourth successive victory over the old enemy.
However, once Bell was out to a good catch from Mike Hussey off the bowling of Glenn McGrath, who had earlier been given the treatment by the England batsmen, the middle and lower order offered little support to the big South African-born batsman.
Dangermen Paul Collingwood (2), Andrew Flintoff (4) and Paul Nixon (8) never got going and Sajid Mahmood (0), Monty Panesar (1 not out) and James Anderson (0) had very short stays in the middle.
It was then down to England's bowlers to take ten Australian wickets to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the semi-finals but three was all they could manage, even though they made it somewhat uncomfortable at times with their economical lines.
Australia's two openers, Adam Gilchrist (27) and Matthew Hayden (41), both made starts but were out before going on to make a match-winning score.
Hayden was bowled by Collingwood on his first ball, clipping the outside of off-stump, while Gilchrist holed out to the Durham man off Flintoff's first delivery.
However Ponting and number four Clarke built an impressive partnership of 112 to steer the Antipodeans towards home from 89-2.
When Ponting was dismissed to a run out with the score on 201-3 most of the hard work had been completed, although all-rounder Andrew Symonds made a cameo, run-a-ball 28 not out to complete the job opposite Clarke.
England must now win all of their remaining fixtures, against Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies, to have a chance of progressing and hope other results go their way.